Dieruff High grad John Kerecz: from hip replacement to hiking mountains

John Kerecz

John Kerecz/CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Dieruff High School grad John Kerecz traveled in October through Tibet and China, Eygpt, Italy, Turkey, Greece and South Korea. He hiked to temples in Tibet, a base camp at Mount Everest and the Shaolin Temple in China. The trip was undertaken just six months after he had a hip replacement.

Dieruff High School grad John Kerecz traveled in October through Tibet and China, Eygpt, Italy, Turkey, Greece and South Korea. He hiked to temples in Tibet, a base camp at Mount Everest and the Shaolin Temple in China. The trip was undertaken just six months after he had a hip replacement.

The 55-year-old grad of Allentown's Dieruff High School was recuperating from hip replacement. But he couldn't stop thinking about a trip he wanted to take.

And this trip was no relaxing beach vacation or a cruise to the Caribbean. He wanted to take a Far East hiking adventure through seven countries, including temples in Tibet and parts of China.

"I starting thinking about that trip," Kerecz says. "So I ordered the hiking boots while sitting in my recliner."

This fall he went on that trip, just six months after having his hip replaced. He practiced kung fu and hiked up mountains, walking 13 miles in one day alone, in high-attitude conditions.

It's a trip he wouldn't have been able to take before the procedure. His hip replacement changed his life for the healthier, bringing back a lot of mobility as well as relieving quite a bit of his chronic pain.

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"I have to admit that I waited longer than I should have," says Kerecz, who lives outside Harrisburg. "That's a man trait."

During hip replacement, a damaged hip joint is removed and replaced with an artificial one. Hip replacements are among the most commonly performed operations in the United States.

For patients like Kerecz, a hip replacement can alleviate chronic pain caused by hip joint damage, usually caused by osteoarthritis.

Kerecz found he had increasing pain in his hip, which eventually took a toll, limiting his daily activities. He wasn't used to limiting himself. He had spent his life being active, practicing karate, running, hiking, doing yoga, taking exotic trips.

He found himself subconsciously steering away from doing everyday activities because of the chronic pain. "You don't realize you're doing it," he says.

Kerecz took care of his mother the last few years of her life. He found it difficult to lift and move her.

"It was exceptionally bad," he says. "I had to use a cane."

He tried to treat his pain with medication but found himself taking more and more. He did strengthening exercises and tried vitamins.

"I think your hope is that you'll find something to make it better," he says. "Nothing really worked."

Eventually doctors told him he needed surgery. He had his hip replaced in March and was out of the hospital in three days.

Most folks would take it easy after such a procedure but Kerecz isn't that type of guy. He went to one physical therapy appointment, then started working on his recovery at home. He started using a walker, then two canes, then one, and then walking with no assistance.

"It was a slow process," he says.

He had his mind set on this epic adventure to the Far East. His trip took him through Tibet and China, Egypt, Italy, Turkey, Greece and South Korea. He hiked to temples in Tibet, a base camp at Mount Everest and the Shaolin Temple in China. Much of the trip involved hiking through rugged terrain and often high altitudes but his hip performed well.

"The one day I did 50,000 steps, a couple of days I did 39,000 steps," he says.

Kerecz is now back in the gym.

"I'm back up to doing 400-pound leg presses," he says. "I used to do 1,000. It's getting better. In some ways my mobility for everyday activities is much better."

He'll admit his new hip isn't perfect.

"It's still odd," he says. "I don't agree when people say it feels like a real hip. The muscles aren't quite right but it's a lot better than it was."

His message to those in a similar position: Don't limit yourself.

"I think as you get older you can still do the things you used to," he says. "People limit themselves."

Did you lose a significant amount of weight through exercise and healthier eating? Do you have a chronic health problem that diet, better nutrition or exercise has improved? Do you experience anxiety or depression and found changing your life through better eating and exercise has improved your symptoms?

We want to hear from you. We're running a series called "Life Changers" in our Life/Health section, profiling our readers who have changed their lives.

If you think you fit the bill, email jsheehan@mcall.com and briefly describe how you've changed your life for the healthier.